Evoked potentials can potentially identify demyelinated white matter
tracts in the brain and spinal cord, and have been suggested to be useful
in cases of suspected multiple sclerosis (MS) when the MRI is negative
(1,2). Although these cases were published 10 years ago, we
hypothesize that an abnormal evoked potential study on presentation of
initial transverse myelitis could indicate previous involvement in other
parts of the nervous system as part of a recurrent disease. In our study
population, evoked potentials were not routinely performed so we cannot
confirm our hypothesis (3). With improvements in MRI technology, it would
be interesting to know how many cases of MRI negative MS still have
abnormalities detectable by evoked potentials and go on to develop MS.
1. Thorpe JW, Kidd D, Moseley IF, et al. Spinal MRI in patients with
suspected multiple sclerosis and negative brain MRI. Brain : a journal of
neurology 1996;119 ( Pt 3):709-714.
2. Palace J. Making the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Journal of
neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry 2001;71 Suppl 2:ii3-8.
3. Kimbrough DJ, Mealy MA, Simpson A, Levy M. Predictors of recurrence
following an initial episode of transverse myelitis. Neuroimmunology
Neuroinflammation 2014.
Evoked potentials can potentially identify demyelinated white matter tracts in the brain and spinal cord, and have been suggested to be useful in cases of suspected multiple sclerosis (MS) when the MRI is negative (1,2). Although these cases were published 10 years ago, we hypothesize that an abnormal evoked potential study on presentation of initial transverse myelitis could indicate previous involvement in other parts of the nervous system as part of a recurrent disease. In our study population, evoked potentials were not routinely performed so we cannot confirm our hypothesis (3). With improvements in MRI technology, it would be interesting to know how many cases of MRI negative MS still have abnormalities detectable by evoked potentials and go on to develop MS.
1. Thorpe JW, Kidd D, Moseley IF, et al. Spinal MRI in patients with suspected multiple sclerosis and negative brain MRI. Brain : a journal of neurology 1996;119 ( Pt 3):709-714. 2. Palace J. Making the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry 2001;71 Suppl 2:ii3-8. 3. Kimbrough DJ, Mealy MA, Simpson A, Levy M. Predictors of recurrence following an initial episode of transverse myelitis. Neuroimmunology Neuroinflammation 2014.